A Historical Analysis of Vehicle Theft in Texas 1960 - 2013

DES PLAINES, IL -- Dec. 16, 2014: The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) today released a historic look at vehicle theft in Texas. From its peak auto theft year in 1991 when 163,830 vehicles were stolen, Texas has experienced a significant decline ending 2013 with 65,745 thefts. That's a reduction of 60 percent since 1991.

Beginning in 1969, Texas saw a steady increase in annual auto thefts before peaking in 1991. A declining trend started in 1992 and thefts have decreased significantly since then. Like other states, Texas authorities employed some innovative law enforcement programs; among them the use of bait cars and license plate readers. In short, technology has had a huge positive impact.

Not only is law enforcement exploiting technology, but auto manufacturers have been outfitting vehicles with more and more theft prevention products—from smart keys to immobilizers to tracking systems. So vehicles today are much harder to steal and that is good news for everyone who owns a vehicle.

Even though auto theft is affecting fewer people these days, if you are one of its unfortunate victims, it can be a real hassle recovering from the loss. That is why NICB consistently reminds people to take precautions against vehicle theft and to follow its "layers of protection."